arauco plywood

[homemade hotrod]

I went to my local 84 lumber for 12mm Arauco and noticed the face ply thickness has changed. It's noticeably thinner! I asked the manager why and he said "that's what they're sending us now" and implied that they're just copying other manufactures trying to save money. Anyone else seeing this? Bill, is it still acceptable to use?

[netwerks]

go to menards.

[Bill Fitzmaurice]

Bill, is it still acceptable to use?

It's not. Having five equal thickness plies is one of the reasons why it's recommended. I haven't bought any lately so I'm not aware of any changes.

[homemade hotrod]

go to menards.

live in east Tn so it's HD or Lowes or 84 so sounds like bb @ $45 per 5x5 special order and wait nobody stocks around here

[homemade hotrod]

Bill, is it still acceptable to use?

It's not. Having five equal thickness plies is one of the reasons why it's recommended. I haven't bought any lately so I'm not aware of any changes.

i'll try to get some photos of ply thickness this weekend

[Rick Lee]

If you can make it to Chattanooga or Nashville BB is much cheaper. Nashville has it at $28 a sheet ($25 each for a pallet), Chattanooga is around $35 but cash price is 5% discount and no tax (depending on what mood they're in).

[Hackomatic]

Rick . . Where in Nashville?

[Rick Lee]

Nashville Plywood 415 27th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37209. Just off Charlotte Avenue close to downtown.

They carry all thicknesses. Grades vary- 1/2 is usually 4B. Nice clean operation with lots in stock.

[sine143]

I believe there is a decent source in Asheville NC as well. If you make it as far east as raleigh NC we're about 28 a sheet for BB.

[Killa200]

Know this is raising the dead,

Rick Lee, is the lumber yard you are referring to in Chattanooga still a good place to go? Chatt is an easy peasy drive for me, and I've got the shop cleared out for a THT-LP build if I can hunt down some decent 4 x 8 sheets to handle the extended length. Lowes / Home Depot in this area no longer carries Arauco branded anything, and after surfing around their selection, gave it a big ole pass on trying any of their other plywood.

[NukePooch]

I know that Hardwood Specialties in Lexington, KY had 4x8 sheets of 1/2 BB....not sure if they still do or not...They always have 5x5's.

2433 Mackinwood Dr, Lexington, KY 40510
(859) 226-5687

[Rick Lee]

Hey Killa, I'll be just south of you tomorrow dropping two of my kids off at Bryan College. Nice part of the country.

I've been doing all my business in Nashville this past year since their price is lower. However, the Chattanooga company is still in business http://chattanoogahardwood.com/index.html and they have lots of plywood including 5x5 Baltic and the import stuff. Their import birch ply 4x8 has the thin veneer but is thicker than most of the Chinese stuff. I've used it a couple of times for home subs when a customer wanted a veneer finish and it did fine. No voids and in my testing the joints were pretty strong because the PL penetrated through the veneer into the next layer. Definitely not as strong as BB but plenty adequate for home use. With cash they give a 5% discount.

Another place to check is Wurth http://www.wurthwoodgroup.com/Locations.aspx They're a more modern operation (with higher prices) that also carry BB and import ply. I would check to see if they have 1/2" Italian Poplar plywood. If they do I would jump on that in a heartbeat. Nice as the BB, no voids, equal thickness plys and nice and light. Nashville Plywood only carries 3/4" ($58 a sheet) but if they had 1/2" I would be all over it!

[Killa200]

Thanks Rick!

I have heard of Chattanooga Hardwood, but not WWG. I'll give both a call Monday and see if I can find some 4x8 sheets of BB or Italian Poplar. It crossed my mind if I had to go with 5x5 to finger joint some panels together for the needed length, but at 1/2" I don't see it being air tight enough, so here is hoping they have some decent stock. Either way I'll post up current pricing and pictures of stock grade when I go visit.

Two going in to college, eh? Bryan is super close (20 minutes) and most of my old class mates have been in and out of the place with various degrees. Good deal of them have gone on to do good things, so I can't say anything about the education there!

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, we're dropping two off tomorrow (a freshman and a 5th year senior) but my oldest son (a junior) is already there. Proud of them- all on full ride academic scholarships.

[DJPhatman]

It crossed my mind if I had to go with 5x5 to finger joint some panels together for the needed length, but at 1/2" I don't see it being air tight enough...

Use the PL Adhesive and the panel joining method described in the plans, and you will be left with a barely noticeable line. The hard part is cutting the pieces to match.